NHER 11061 (Building record) - East Hall (previously known as Lodge Farm)

East Hall (previously known as Lodge Farm).
Moat (Lodge Farm).
E. Rose (NAU).

Listed Grade II as 17th-century timber frame, but source [1] reports 1992 that it is in fact a 13th-century aisled hall. Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission grant obtained for emergency recording.
Information from A. Rogerson (NLA).
E. Rose (NLA), 10 July 1992.

July 1992. Visit.
Building is a raised aisled hall (part demolished) reverting to an aisled hall at one end. Mouldings are of a type found elsewhere around 1500 and original building had large bay windows, making date of 1300 debateable. Clearly a very important building either as an early example of mouldings and glazed windows or a late example of an aisled hall. Later windows of about 1600 inserted with stack and upper floor.
See (S2) in file and further discussion of dating.
E. Rose (NLA), 27 July 1992.

1992. Building Survey and Documentary Research.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 February 2022.

1993. Dendrochronological Survey.
Tree-ring analysis of sample from farmhouse resulted in the production of a felling date for the primary phase timbers of circa AD 1355-1360.
See report (S3) for further details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 10 March 2015.

August 1992-February 1993. Excavation and Watching Brief.
Evaluation in area of new extention on the existing building which was identified as a raised aisled hall which dated to the 14th century. Also revealed were medieval and post medieval ditches, wells and pottery, however there was no evidence relating to original construction.
See report (S4) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S5) and (S6).
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2022.256).
E. Rose (NLA), 28 September 1993. Amended by M. Langham-Lopez (HES), 28 June 2013 and P. Watkins (HES), 5 December 2022.

Southeast arm about 60 metres long, about 8 metres wide. Southwest arm about 50 metres long, about 5-6 metres wide. Northwest arm reed filled. Northeast arm and to north of entrance moats infilled. All extant arms hold water, as does pond northwest of farm buildings. (Site no longer called Lodge Farm, changed to East Hall).
H. Paterson (A&E), 29 June 2000.

2018. Oxygen Isotope Dendrochronology.
Two timbers that had previously been securely dated by ring-width dendrochronology (see above) were sampled for oxygen isotope analysis. This work was undertaken as part of an initiative to investigate the practical extent of the south-central England chronology for isotopic dating.
This initial study suggests that, at present, secure dating using oxygen isotope measurements may be possible in this region, but may not routinely be obtained from short series of isotopic measurements on single timbers.
See (S7) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 1 December 2021.

Now listed Grade II*.
Excerpt of revised Listing Description:
"Farmhouse. Circa 14th century; remodelled in circa late 16th century and early-mid 19th century; extended in late 20th century. Timber frame, encased and partly rebuilt in painted brick. Pantile roof with gabled ends. Brick axial stack and gable end stacks.
Plan: Medieval house probably had a three-room and through passage plan with a raised aisle hall, parlour and solar to left (NE) and service end to right (SW). In circa late 16th century the hall was floored and an axial stack inserted at the high end, and the house was lengthened at the high NE end. In circa early 19th century the service end to right (SW) was removed, the whole house was faced and partly rebuilt in brick making the rear (NW) elevation the front and replacing the roof. In late 20th century a wing was built at the rear (SE).
Interior: The medieval timber frame that survives includes jowled wall and aisle-posts, large moulded tie-beam across hall on moulded curved braces originally supporting arcade posts, high end wall of hall with diagonal bracing, solar floor, moulded aisle and wall-plates with scarf joints. Wall framing in hall is hollow-chamfered and ovolo-moulded. Evidence for oriel windows on front and back walls of hall. Inserted brick stack in hall with chamfered timber lintel. 19th-century roof structure with some reused moulded timbers…"
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the full, current listing details.
P. Watkins (HES), 10 July 2023.